Double Down (sandwich)
Encyclopedia
The Double Down is a sandwich offered by Kentucky Fried Chicken
(KFC). The Double Down contains "bacon, two different kinds of melted cheese, the Colonel’s 'secret' sauce... pinched in between two pieces of Original Recipe chicken fillets." It is also available with grilled chicken fillets instead of the Original Recipe fried fillets. The KFC Double Down was initially test marketed in Omaha, Nebraska
and Providence, Rhode Island
. KFC describes the Double Down as a "sandwich
" although it does not have bread.
reviewer pointed out that the grilled chicken Double Down has marginally fewer calories and less fat than does the fried chicken Double Down (460 versus 540 calories, and 23g versus 32g fat) but that the grilled chicken option has more sodium (1,430 mg versus 1,380). However, the L.A. Times article noted that both Double Downs have fewer calories than does Burger King's TenderCrisp
chicken sandwich, which has 800 calories.
press release, and launched the item in the United States on April 12, 2010. It has been promoted via billboard
s and a TV commercial that says it has "so much 100 percent premium chicken, we didn't have room for a bun."
Originally a limited time offer that was supposed to end on May 23, 2010, KFC reversed course on May 19, 2010, stating that the item would remain available indefinitely. The chain cited its popularity in overall sales, as well as videos of people eating the Double Down becoming a YouTube
sensation. Stephen Colbert
even ate one on The Colbert Report, spurring the item's popularity even more.
On October 18, 2010, KFC restaurants in Canada
began selling the fried version of the Double Down sandwich for a limited time. It was reported that on its launch date, a KFC in Victoria, British Columbia
was sold out of Double Down sandwiches by as early as 2 PM PST. In French Canada
, it is known as "Coup Double", roughly translated as "Double Punch". The sandwich was discontinued in Canada on November 14, 2010, but on 25 May 2011, KFC announced it was returning at least temporarily.
On November 2010, the Double Down sandwich was launched in select branches in the Philippines
, the first in Asia
. Nearly one year later, on October 2011, KFC Philippines replaced it with the Zinger Double Down, which is spicy and has a crunchy skin.
KFC Australia
started selling the Double Down (renamed The Double) with the tagline "make time for mantime" on March 30, 2011 for a limited time only. The Double was successful in Australia, although it was criticized for being unhealthy.
From May 10, 2011, the Double Down was available in New Zealand
for an initial limited period of five weeks.
The National Organization of Women was offended by a marketing campaign for the Double Down in which female college students were hired to promote the sandwich on college campuses wearing sweatpants with "Double Down" printed on their rears.
In Canada, the sandwich quickly became KFC's best-selling new menu item ever, quickly selling over 350,000 sandwiches in less than 10 days. There were rumors that as of November 17, 2010, the Double Down would be discontinued on KFC menus in Canada, despite sales in excess of one million sandwiches, but they are currently still being sold in some restaurants across the country.
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
(KFC). The Double Down contains "bacon, two different kinds of melted cheese, the Colonel’s 'secret' sauce... pinched in between two pieces of Original Recipe chicken fillets." It is also available with grilled chicken fillets instead of the Original Recipe fried fillets. The KFC Double Down was initially test marketed in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
and Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. KFC describes the Double Down as a "sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
" although it does not have bread.
Nutritional analysis
NPR compared its calorie count to that of McDonald's Premium Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich. Both the grilled and fried Double Down products had nearly a full day's worth of sodium according to the American Heart Association's guidelines. A Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reviewer pointed out that the grilled chicken Double Down has marginally fewer calories and less fat than does the fried chicken Double Down (460 versus 540 calories, and 23g versus 32g fat) but that the grilled chicken option has more sodium (1,430 mg versus 1,380). However, the L.A. Times article noted that both Double Downs have fewer calories than does Burger King's TenderCrisp
Tendercrisp
The TenderCrisp is a chicken sandwich sold by Burger King, an international fast-food restaurant chain. It is one of their "indulgent" products....
chicken sandwich, which has 800 calories.
Marketing
KFC announced the Double Down in an April Fools' DayApril Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
press release, and launched the item in the United States on April 12, 2010. It has been promoted via billboard
Billboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s and a TV commercial that says it has "so much 100 percent premium chicken, we didn't have room for a bun."
Originally a limited time offer that was supposed to end on May 23, 2010, KFC reversed course on May 19, 2010, stating that the item would remain available indefinitely. The chain cited its popularity in overall sales, as well as videos of people eating the Double Down becoming a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
sensation. Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert (character)
The Reverend / Sir / Dr. / Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A., brain-child of Google, is the persona of political satirist Stephen Colbert, as portrayed on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. Described as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed high-status idiot", the character is a self-obsessed right-wing...
even ate one on The Colbert Report, spurring the item's popularity even more.
On October 18, 2010, KFC restaurants in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
began selling the fried version of the Double Down sandwich for a limited time. It was reported that on its launch date, a KFC in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
was sold out of Double Down sandwiches by as early as 2 PM PST. In French Canada
French Canada
French Canada, also known as "Lower Canada", is a term to distinguish the French Canadian population of Canada from English Canada.-Definition:...
, it is known as "Coup Double", roughly translated as "Double Punch". The sandwich was discontinued in Canada on November 14, 2010, but on 25 May 2011, KFC announced it was returning at least temporarily.
On November 2010, the Double Down sandwich was launched in select branches in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, the first in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Nearly one year later, on October 2011, KFC Philippines replaced it with the Zinger Double Down, which is spicy and has a crunchy skin.
KFC Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
started selling the Double Down (renamed The Double) with the tagline "make time for mantime" on March 30, 2011 for a limited time only. The Double was successful in Australia, although it was criticized for being unhealthy.
From May 10, 2011, the Double Down was available in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
for an initial limited period of five weeks.
Sales
From its April 12 nationwide launch through early July, a KFC spokesperson reported that the chain had sold 10 million of the sandwiches for a total of about US$50 million in revenue. An analyst said that figure accounts for 5% of KFC's sales in that time period, a figure insubstantial to KFC's financial bottom line.The National Organization of Women was offended by a marketing campaign for the Double Down in which female college students were hired to promote the sandwich on college campuses wearing sweatpants with "Double Down" printed on their rears.
In Canada, the sandwich quickly became KFC's best-selling new menu item ever, quickly selling over 350,000 sandwiches in less than 10 days. There were rumors that as of November 17, 2010, the Double Down would be discontinued on KFC menus in Canada, despite sales in excess of one million sandwiches, but they are currently still being sold in some restaurants across the country.
External links
- "Double Down by the Numbers: Unhealthiest Sandwich Ever?". fivethirtyeight.comFiveThirtyEight.comFiveThirtyEight is a polling aggregation website with a blog created by Nate Silver. Sometimes colloquially referred to as 538 dot com or just 538, the website takes its name from the number of electors in the United States electoral college...
— Thorough analysis of the Double Down's nutrition facts compared with those of other fast food items